Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese have traded gentle barbs about loyalty as they step up their campaigns to win a ballot of the Labor Party membership that will open Tuesday and determine who succeeds Kevin Rudd as Labor leader.

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When asked about the remark on Thursday, Mr Shorten defended his decision to switch loyalty to Mr Rudd after strongly supporting Ms Gillard, saying: ''I, like all the members of the caucus, have had to make hard decisions based on what we think is the national interest and the party interest.''

He added: ''I know that Mr Albanese has always been a very keen supporter of Mr Rudd and I respect him for it.'' Both contenders appeared determined to pull back from any hint of overt hostility, reaffirming their desire for the losing candidate to serve in a senior position once the outcome of the two-stage process is announced on October 13.

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Mr Shorten flagged that, if he won the combined vote of Labor MPs and the membership ballot, he would want Mr Albanese to serve as ''a pinch hitter or a key sort of full forward in the Parliament''.

In return, Mr Albanese signalled that he would be happy for Mr Shorten to serve as his deputy, telling Fairfax Media: ''I don't want to pre-empt what is a caucus decision [but] I'd be supportive of him stepping up if that's what people determined.''

Both contenders campaigned in Melbourne on Thursday, with Mr Shorten attending a media event at Braybrook College, while Mr Albanese delivered a lecture hosted by the progressive think tank Per Capita before attending the Victorian launch of his campaign.

Mr Shorten will address a Per Capita function next week.

Earlier, former community services and indigenous affairs minister Jenny Macklin backed Mr Albanese, saying she strongly believed that, under his leadership, Labor could defeat Tony Abbott at the next election.

''He has the tenacity and the vision we need in opposition to fight for the big Labor reforms in disability, climate change, education and broadband,'' she said.

Mr Albanese received another boost in public support on Friday, when NSW Deputy Opposition Leader Linda Burney declared she would be voting for the former deputy prime minister.

She was joined by shadow transport minister, Penny Sharpe, in a press conference outside NSW state parliament.

"Penny and I, as members of the Labor Party, are here . . . saying that we have two great candidates, and putting our support behind one of those candidates," Ms Burney said.

Mr Shorten later played down statement by Ms Macklin, telling reporters: ''I'm more concerned that Jenny has bronchitis.'' Mr Shorten was accompanied at Braybrook College by former attorney-general Nicola Roxon, who strongly backed his candidacy for the leadership.

He announced his intention to assume responsibility for science and innovation if he becomes leader, accusing Mr Abbott of giving the area no priority by not giving science a ministry.

Mr Albanese said Labor's challenge was to generate new ideas, and he announced that he would have separate shadow ministries for cities and regional development.

Ballot papers will be sent to some 40,000 ALP members on Tuesday, with the ballot closing on October 10. The next day Labor MPs will convene and vote in their own secret ballot, unaware of the outcome of the membership vote.

They will re-convene on October 13, when their votes will be tallied and the public result will be announced.